Heater



April 14, 1925.

J. H. DEPPELER HEATER Fildfian. 9, 1925 a wonder his arm: neg;

Patented Apr. 14, 1925.

UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. DEPPELER, OE WEEHAWKEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 METAL ANETHER- MIT CORPORATION, OF CHROME, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF N W JERSEY.

HEATER.

Application filed January 9, 1923. Serial NO. 611,681.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN H. DEPIELER, a

citizen of the United States, anda resident of VVeehawke1i,flin the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Heaters; and I do hereby declare the fol-' lowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which, apper tains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to heaters employing liquid fuel, and more particularly to heaters of this kind adapted for use in therniitrail welding.

The heater embodying the present inven" tion has been designed especially for use in the thermit welding of trolley rails to preheat the rail ends prior to welding; but, as will be apparent hereinafter, the invention has certain features of broad application.

In thermit welding, as well as in many other heating operations, it is desirable to cause the combustion of'the fuel to take place inside of a mold and not at the end of a burner p-ipe--as in the case of ordinary open flame burners-and heretofore it has been the practice to force the fuel, such as kerosene, gasoline, etc, through a needle valve andinto a stream of air, the air and this fuel vapor thereafter passing through a hose to the burner nozzle and thus into the mold where itwas burned. The difiiculties encountered were usually caused by the conthe fuel, thus causing perfect vapor to be forced into'the stream of air and eliminat ing entirely the condensation'in the pipe and hose between the needle valve and burner nozzle and thus all the other defects of the previous forms of burner. This has resulted in a simplification of the adjustments of the burner, in greatly improved ez'onomy in the operation. and improved strength of rail joints by more uniform heat. Other features and advantages of the invention will be pointed out in the detailed description. of the same which follows.

I The preferred form of the apparatus our,

bodying the presentinx ention comprises a fuel tank, an electrically operated air pump or blower, a burner nozzle, and various pipes connecting theseparts, the whole being mounted on a hand truck, so as to be readily transportable. The blower is connected by a pipe to theburner nozzle o supply air for combustion and also has a branch connection with the upper part of the tank to maintain the fuel'therein under a constant predetermined pressure. The lower part of the tank is connected by a pipe of relatively small diameter with the pipe leading to the burner nozzle, and the fuel feeds through this pipe under the combined action of gravity and blower pressure, the rate of feeding of the fuel being regulable by means of a needle valve located at the junction of said pipes. The fuel is heated and converted into vapor before reaching the valve by means of an electrical resistance coil surrounding the pipe and connected in circuit with the motor which drives the blower. The invention thus enibodieselectrically operated means for supplying a combustible mixture to the burner nozzle, including an electric heater for vaporizing the fuelprior to mixing thereof with the air, and an adjustable valve for regulating the fuel feed, whereby great economy of fuel and stability in operation are effected withperfect regulation of the fuel feed and burner flame.

A simple and effective form of the invention is illustrated in. the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the heater Fig. 2 is a front elevation; and

3 is a detail view showing a section through the needle valve which regulates the fuel feed. I

In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a' two-wheel truck upon which the variousparts of the apparatus are mounted. A tank 2, adapted to hold an ample supply of liquid fuel, such as kerosene, is supported in cradles 3 attached to uprights 4 secured to the frame of the truck. Fuel is adapted to feed from. this tank. through a small diameter pipe 5, which extends from the bottom of the tank downwardly to a point the other end to the top of the tank.

adjacent the floorof the truck, thence, horizontally and thence upwardly through a valve 6 to a pipe leading to the burner nozzle N. Arrai'iged around the upwardly eX- tending leg of pipe is a resistance coil 7 protected by a sheet metal housing 8. The

burner nozzle N is detachably connected to a flexible pipe or hose 9. An air pump or blower 10 is connected to an electric motor 11 by means of a chain 12 which passes around a sprocket wheel 13 secured to shaft l lof the blower. and around a sprocket wheel 15 secured to the motorshaft. A switch board 16 attached to the truck is adapted to carry various terminals, fuses, switches, etc, for connecting the motor ll and heating coil 7' in circuit with the power mains of a trolley system; An air gauge 17 is connected to a branch pipe 18 which connects the exhaust of the blower with the tank 2, said branch being connected at one end to a fitting 19, to'which the discharge pipe of the blower is connected, and at A second branch 21 connects the fitting 19 to the casing of needle valve 6.

In operation, the blower maintains a current of air through pipe 21 and also, through branch pipe 18, maintains a con stant pressure on the fuel in tank 2, the ve-' rate sufiieient for the needs of the burner.

' the resistance coil.

Obviously, however, any other suitable type of motor and resistance and any practical arrangement of these elements may be employed.

It will be noted that the oil feed pipe 5 .has a depending-loop form, which provides an effective trap for the vaporized oil, preventing the vapor from passing back into the tank. Preferably, there should be no shut-off valve in the oil line 5, in order to avoid creating an extremelv high pressure in the line in case the operator should have both the needle valve and the shut-off valve closed with current flowing through For the same reason it is preferable to omit a valve of any kind in the branch pipe 18, since with this pipe valveless, the pressure in the tank cannot at any time exceed the pressure supplied bv the blower.

The same increased efficiency accom plished my improvements in the particular type of burner here shown, can also be accomplished by the same means in soealled open flame burnersfin which the improvement on accountof the thoroughly vaporized fuel is most evident.

fW'hat I claim is:

1., In a heater of the class described, the combination of a fuel tank and a burner nozzle, with means to supply a combustible mixture to. said nozzle comprising an air blower connected with the tank. above. the fuel in said tank, a pipe connectingftheldischarge of said blower to .said nozzle, a fuel pipe having a depending loop connecting said tank and air pipe including an adjustable atomizing'valve. and a heater for vaporizing the fuel initspassage towards said valve.

2. In a heater of the class described, the combination ofv a fuel tank and a burner nozzle, with an electrically'drivenair pump connected with the tank above the fuel in said tank, a pipe connecting the discharge of said pump to said nozzle, andmeans to supply fuel. to said pipe comprising a connection between said tank and pipe including an atomizing valve, and a resistance coil surrounding said connection between said valve and tank.

3. In a liea-ter of the class described, in combination, a fuel tank, arburner nozzle, an air pump or blower, an air Ipipe connecting the discharge of said pump to said nozzle," a fuelpipehavinga depending loop joining the lower part of said tank to said air pipe, an atomizing valve controlling communicationbetween said fuel pipe and air pipe, and means forheating and vaporizing the fuel in its passage towards said valve.

4. In a heater of the class described, in combination, a fuel tank,- a burner nozzle, an air pump'or blower, a pipe connecting the dischargeof said pump to the upper part of said tank, a second pipe connecting the discharge of said pump to said nozzle, a fuel pipe joining the bottomofsaid tank to said second pipe,an atomizing valve controlling communication between said fuel pipe and said second pipe, and means for heating said fuel pipe.

In a heater of the class described, in combination, a, fueltank, a burner nozzle, an air pump or blower,-a pipe connected to the discharge of said pump having a branch connected to theupper part of said tank and a second branch connected to said nozzle, a. fuel pipe joining the bottom of said tank. to said second branch and having a depending loop port-ion, an atomizing valve controlling connnunicat-ion between said ,fuel pipe and said second branch, and means for heating said fuel .pipe adjacent said valve.

6. Ina heater of the class described, in combination. a fuel tank. aburner nozzle.

an electric motor, a blower o erated by said motor, a pipe connected to t e discharge of said blower having a valveless branch connected to the upper part of said tank and 5 having a second branch connected to said burner nozzle, a valveless fuel pipe joining the lower part of the said tank to said'second branch and having a depending loop portion, a needle valve oontrolling communication between said fuel pipe and said second branch, and a resistance coil surroundin said fuel pipe adj acent said valve.

in testimony whereof Iafiix my signature.

JOHN H. DEPPELER. 

